Closure for collapsible tube, having a spring biased, axially reciprocable, pressure operated outlet valve



April 1951 s. J JARVIS 2,550,356

CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE IUBE, HAVING A SPRING BIASED, 1 AXIALLY RECIPROCABLE, PRESSURE OPERATED OUTLET VALVE Filed Sept. 22, 1949 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 24, 1951 CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, HAVING A SPRING BIASED, AXIALLY RECIPRO- CABLE, PRESSURE OPERATED OUTLET VALVE Samuel J. Jarvis, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application September 22, 1949, Serial No. 117,118

a closure for containers of the type "indicated whichmay be made as a unit separate from the container and adaptedv to be applied to any Wellknown form of collapsibl container by the ultimate user thereof.

- Yet another object of the invention is'to provide a closure for collapsible containers which closure may be assembled as a permanent part of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure for collapsible containers or the like which will automatically open for delivery of the container contents upon application of pressure to the container, and which 'will automatically close upon release of such pressure.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a collapsible container incorporating features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the discharge end of a collapsible container such as shown in Fig. 1, with the closure device permanently secured to the container;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the closure device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified construction of closure adapted to be removably applied to a conventional collapsible container; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the closure of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail, the reference character I0 indicates a collapsible container, for example, a toothpaste tube, having the usual thin-walled cylindrical body H and domed end wall l2, the latterhaving a central opening l3 provided with a strengthening flange Where the tube end I2 and flange 14 are made of aluminum or other equally hard material, the

closure 'device may be permanently attached to 1 Claim. (01. 222F496) vice for this type of attachment is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and comprises a neck member l6 whose outside diameter is a few thousandths of an inch greater at the innermost end than at the outer end to provide for a press fit assembly in the opening l3 of the container flange I l.

The neck member l6 has a longitudinal discharge passage Il'of circular cross section extending therethrough from end to end, terminating in a circular delivery opening [8 provided with an outwardly-facing frusto-conical valve seat l9.

Associated with the valve member 2|, preferably provided with an eye 22 at its apexfor reception of a hook23 formed at the outer end of a cylindrical helical tension spring 24 of a diameter to be closely received in the cylindrical passage H. The innermost terminal coil 26 of the spring 24 is of greater diameter than the passage [1 and abuts a shoulder 21 at. the inner end of the neck member I6.

The length and resiliency of the spring is such.

that it exerts suflicient force on the valve member 21 toretain the latter, in contact with the valve seat [9, thereby closing the .delivery opening l8, except when pressure is applied to the collapsible container 10. 1

When pressure is applied to the collapsible container the valve member will be forced on its seat, permitting discharge of the contents of the container through the delivery opening 3. It will be seen that the use of a spring of the structure disclosed provides a substantially unobstructed passage therethrough for movement of the container contents to the delivery opening. Preferably, the spring is made of stainlesssteel so that it will resist corrosion from contact with the container contents.

While various angles for the inclined surfaces of the conical valve member 2| and seat l9 may be utilized, it has been found that an included angle within the range of from 74 degrees to 84 degrees produces especially satisfactory operation. Preferably, the included angle of the valve seat is one or two degrees greater than that of the valve with the result that the valve and seat have line contact.

In Figs. 4 and 5 there is illustrated a modified construction of closure adapted for removable attachment to any conventional type of collapsible closure Illa. In this construction, the container side walls Ila are closed at the outlet end by a domed Wall [20. having a central opening l3a surrounded by a flange [4a which is externally valve seat 19 is a conical threaded, as at 15 for reception of the closure assembly 25.

This closure assembly includes a neck portion Ilia having a cylindrical passage Ila terminating in a delivery opening 18a and surrounded by an outwardly-facing valve seat Ida, all as in the previously-disclosed construction. However, the neck member [6a is provided at its inner end with a relatively heavy flange 20 Which is internally-threaded, as at 30, for attachment to the threaded flange 14a of the container. Also, the periphery of the flange 20 may be flattened, as at 35; for ease in manual application and reinoval of the closure unit.

The valve and spring construction and operation are identical in both forms of the invention shown, theform of Figs. 4 and 5 having a shoulder 2111 at the inner end of the neck member 15a for support of the spring terminal coil 26.

From the above description it will be apparent that the invention provides an automatic closure which is simple in construction, yet effective in operation, and particularly one in which a substantially free passage is provided for movement of the container contents therepast to the delivery opening;

. -While the invention has been shown in but two forms, it will be apparent that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

A closure member for a collapsible dispensing tube, comprising a neck member having a longitudinal discharge passage of circular cross section terminating in a circular delivery opening, an

4 outwardly-facing valve seat surrounding said delivery opening, a valve member associated with said valve seat, a shoulder at the inner end of the neck member and lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the neck discharge passage, and a cylindrical helical tension spring disposed in said passage in close proximity to the wall of the latter, the innermost terminal -'coil of said spring being of greater diameter than said passage and abutting said shoulder, and said spring terminating at its outer end in a diametricallyextending hook portion secured to the valve member, said spring construction and arrangement providing a substantially free passageway axially of the spring for unobstructed flow of material through the neck member to the delivery opening.

SAMUEL J. JARVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,888,007 Millis, Jr., et al. Nov. 15, 1932 1,896,729 Jakubec Feb. 7, 1933 1,911,284 Nichols May '30, 1933 1,922,204 Johnson Aug. 15, 1933 1,945,872 Tap'pe Feb. '6, 1934 2,114,482 Vrtel 1 Apr. '19, 1938 2,168,297 Voke Aug. 1, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number v Country Date 627,319 France 1 June 4, 1927 

